QUESTIONS?
What is a boat slip or "slip"?
A slip is where you dock your boat in the marina for the summer season. It is a paid place to keep your boat while enjoying the river throughout the summer without having to take it in and out of the water with every use. If you enjoy the slip you have been given for the season- you will be able to remain in that slip year after year.
How do I get a slip at Marina Bay or Southport?
You will start by clicking on the tab above "Add me to the Waitlist" and once you fill this out it will alert us of your interest in a slip. From there, we will reach out to you and proceed with adding you to the marina waitlist- either Marina Bay or Southport. We will not be able to specify a slip assignment for you until after January 31. But don't worry, you will hear from us in later February or early March to verify details at that time. If you would choose to change your mind, just let us know and we will just cancel you from the waitlist.
What is a boat ramp pass?
Marina Bay and Southport are private marinas. A boat ramp pass is a pass that you can buy from us to load and unload your boat only in Marina Bay as many times as you wish during that summer. This is for someone who does not rent a slip and just wants access to the ramp through the season. The boat ramp pass costs $400. Just reach out by email or text/call if you are interested in this option. Once you have paid, we will mail you a sticker that needs to be placed on your trailer for marina staff to visualize. We are unable to offer a boat ramp pass for Southport. With that being said, we will be towing any trailers that are left in the Southport marina parking areas as we do not have the room for these when customers are trying to park their vehicles to use their slip.
When does the marina open and close?
Weather has a big factor in this, however, the goal every year is to have all the docks "set" by May 15 in order to use your slip. Depending on when the ice is off can play a role in this opening date. The slips are scheduled to be empty by October 1st every year.
How much does a boat slip cost for the season?
For 25 ft slips the regular cost is $1490 (early bird is $1290)
For 30 ft slips the regular cost is $1990 (early bird is $1790)
For 40 ft slips the regular cost is $2190 (early bird is $1990)
For personal watercraft ports the regular cost is $790 (early bird is $690)
When is the "early bird" payment deadline?
For only the returning slip renters, the contract for the following season is emailed out by December 1st. At that time, the returning slip renter can receive a $200 discount if the slip is paid in full before January 31st. After this date, ALL (new and returning slip renters) pay the regular price.
As a returning slip renter, what if I want to keep my slip but pay only the minimum in order to hold my slip for the upcoming season and pay later?
That is entirely fine. You will need to pay $200 by January 31 (or we can assign your slip to someone else) in order to hold your slip. You will just need to call or email and let us know you would like to pay this way so we can adjust your contract to reflect this. The final payment will be due by April 1st then- or you can pay the full amount any time prior to that date. We do charge the regular full price when paying this way and do not offer the early bird special then. If not fully paid by April 1st, we will assign the slip to someone else.
How do I pay for my slip?
Once you have been offered a slip (contract extended to your email) through "dockwa" you will be able to navigate through that site and put in your credit card information. If you prefer to mail a check you will choose "manual" payment. If you choose to pay cash, you will also choose "manual" payment and will need to email us to arrange that cash payment for drop off.
How do I get my credit card payment to work on my Dockwa account?
On the rare occasion you have trouble with the credit card process on dockwa, here is an approach below to help with that. If you are using a credit card from last year and it is not working for you, we have found that deleting that card and "adding new" can help. That way you can link the newly inputted card with the contract you are signing.
To delete a credit card you will first log into your dockwa account.
Select "payment" from the "account" dropdown menu in the top right corner. The direct link is https://dockwa.com/account/payment
Click the "delete" button next to the card that you would like to remove from your profile.
If you cannot remove the card, it is most likely attached to an active reservation. To delete this card you must first "change" the card linked to your active reservation(s).
1. Navigate to your accounts credit cards
2. Select change card in blue beneath the active card
3. Select the card you wish to use OR select the "add a new card" button
4. Click "update payment method"
Note that if your payment failed previously, following these steps above will automatically retry the new payment method for only the amount that is due.
To just change the expiration date on your credit card you will need to delete the old credit card and add the card again with the updated expiration date.
How do I get my slip decal/sticker?
We will finalize slip assignments in the spring and plan to mail you the decal. If we do not have your address on file we will reach out to you for this. If you are not sure, it never hurts to email your address to us to make sure we have it. If your address has changed, please also reach out and update this for us.
Where do I place my slip sticker/decal on my boat?
You will place the slip decal pass on the starboard (drivers) side of your boat, to the LEFT of your ND registration numbers. Please cover old passes with the current one. All boats and watercraft MUST display these decals in order to maintain a spot in the marina.
When do I know my slip assignment?
For returning slip renters- if paying for your slip in full or by deposit before January 31- you resume the same slip assignment as the year before. Also, as a returning slip renter, if you have not paid by January 31 we try to reach out to verify if you are renewing or not. If we have tried a couple of times to connect with you and no response- we will let your slip go to another renter. In February, slip assignments start and as we juggle moving slip renters (per their request) we will know more about your specific slip assignment by mid-February or early March if you have asked for a change in slip assignment OR if you are offered a slip per the waitlist.
I would like to switch to a different slip from last season if possible?
Once all returning slip renters have paid by January 31 we will then be able to move assignments accordingly for returning renters that want to "move" to a different slip. Fill out your contract to hold a slip (paid in full or deposit by Jan 31) and send an email with your request of change. We will note it in your profile and try to accommodate best we can- pending what is available. We will reach out to you before assigning a new slip- making sure you are agreeable. This will not happen until sometime after January 31st.
I would like to sell my boat and slip to someone- How do I go about this?
You will need to email us to let us know that you will no longer be needing your slip but instead passing it on (along with that sold boat) to a new owner. We will then "expire" your contract so that you no longer receive emails associated with this slip. From there, the new customer should email us requesting that particular slip so that we can "extend the offer" to them. They will then be able to fill out the new offered contract plus we will have to add a $100 transfer fee to the new customer for the "switch over". In regards to "giving your slip to someone else" we will have to actually add them to the waiting list if there is no boat sold with the slip. Usually we can accomodate this for most.
What information do I need when completing the contract?
We will need your boat make/model/length/year. We also need your Hull number. This is the 12 digit number that is located on the transom (back) of your boat, usually upper right hand corner. This number can be put in the "boat name" box when filling out your contract or you can email it to us as well and we can fill that in for you. The hull number is like the VIN on a vehicle. Additionally, we need your insurance carrier, policy # and expiration date when filling out the contract.
Finally we will need your address to mail your sticker decal for your boat. Please email us your current address and phone number if you are a new customer.
How do I delete my boat in Dockwa since I bought a new one?
If you have added your boat to your dockwa account in the past, then you will have to delete it as we can not do that on our end. Refer to https://dockwa.com/account/boats. You should be able to just go to the "boats" tab and X out the boat you want to remove. If we added the boat for you, then we can delete it on our end.
How do I contact you?
Address: "Marina Bay" or "Southport"
PO Box 4202 Bismarck, ND 58502
Email: info@bismanslips.com
Phone: text/call 701.527.9653